<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?> <!DOCTYPE xep SYSTEM 'xep.dtd' [ <!ENTITY % ents SYSTEM 'xep.ent'> %ents; ]> <?xml-stylesheet type='text/xsl' href='xep.xsl'?> <xep> <header> <title>The /me Command</title> <abstract>This specification defines recommended handling of the /me command in XMPP instant messaging clients.</abstract> &LEGALNOTICE; <number>0245</number> <status>Active</status> <type>Informational</type> <sig>Standards</sig> <approver>Council</approver> <dependencies> <spec>XMPP Core</spec> <spec>XMPP IM</spec> </dependencies> <supersedes/> <supersededby/> <shortname>N/A</shortname> &stpeter; <revision> <version>1.0</version> <date>2009-01-21</date> <initials>psa</initials> <remark><p>Per a vote of the XMPP Council, advanced specification to Active and changed type from Historical to Informational.</p></remark> </revision> <revision> <version>0.2</version> <date>2009-01-08</date> <initials>psa</initials> <remark><p>Clarified handling of XHTML-IM formatting; added security consideration for multi-user chat rooms.</p></remark> </revision> <revision> <version>0.1</version> <date>2008-06-18</date> <initials>psa</initials> <remark><p>Initial published version.</p></remark> </revision> <revision> <version>0.0.1</version> <date>2008-06-09</date> <initials>psa</initials> <remark><p>First draft.</p></remark> </revision> </header> <section1 topic='Introduction' anchor='intro'> <p>Many Jabber/XMPP instant messaging clients provide special processing and presentation of the string "/me " at the beginning of a message body. This specification describes the recommended handling of this "command".</p> </section1> <section1 topic='Recommended Handling' anchor='handling'> <p>The /me command <note>The string "/me " is usually pronounced "slash-me".</note> is a text string that enables a human user to type an action phrase and have it be presented in a special way within an instant messaging client. The text string is followed by a verb or verb phrase, such as "/me laughs" or "/me is logging off now". This command does not result in the generation of any XMPP protocol. Instead, the command is sent as-is (e.g., <body>/me laughs</body>) and the receiving client performs string-matching on the first four characters of the data included in the &BODY; element to determine if the message begins with the string "/me ". If the client finds a match, the receiving client will show the message with a special presentation. It is RECOMMENDED for the client to show the receiving client's understanding of the sender's user name, nickname, or handle <note>On the difference between user names, nicknames, and handles, see &xep0165; and &xep0172;.</note> followed by the verb phrase in italicized text, prepended by the "*" character.</p> <p>For example, imagine that the Greek god Atlas is in a chatroom with the other gods and types the following text in his IM client:</p> <example caption="A /me Command"><![CDATA[ /me shrugs in disgust ]]></example> <p>That text will be sent to all the occupants in the chatroom as follows:</p> <example caption="XMPP Stanza"><![CDATA[ <message from='olympians@chat.gods.lit/Atlas' to='olympians@chat.gods.lit' type='groupchat'> <body>/me shrugs in disgust</body> </message> ]]></example> <p>Each recipient's client would then show the message with a special presentation, such as:</p> <example caption="Presentation of /me Command"> <span style='margin-left: 5%; font-style: italic; color: green;'>* Atlas shrugs in disgust</span> </example> <p>If the receiving client does not find a match on the string "/me " in the first four characters of the message body, it SHOULD NOT present the text in a special way. For example, the following message bodies do not match:</p> <example caption="Some Non-Commands"><![CDATA[ <body>/meshrugs in disgust</body> <body>/me's disgusted</body> <body> /me shrugs in disgust</body> <body>"/me shrugs in disgust"</body> <body>* Atlas shrugs in disgust</body> <body>Why did Atlas say "/me shrugs in disgust"?</body> ]]></example> </section1> <section1 topic='Integration With XHTML-IM' anchor='xhtml'> <p>&xep0071; describes a method for lightweight formatting of a message body using a subset of XHTML. For example, the stanza shown above might be formatted in the color green, as follows.</p> <example caption="XMPP Stanza With XHTML-IM"><![CDATA[ <message from='olympians@chat.gods.lit/Atlas' to='olympians@chat.gods.lit' type='groupchat'> <body>/me shrugs in disgust</body> <html xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/xhtml-im'> <body xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'> <p style='color:green'>/me shrugs in disgust</p> </body> </html> </message> ]]></example> <p>The XHTML-formatted version of the message MUST NOT modify the "/me " command string (e.g., in this case to something like "* Atlas shrugs in disgust") because the recipient might have a different user name, nickname, or handle on file for the sender.</p> </section1> <section1 topic='Accessibility Considerations' anchor='access'> <p>This specification describes the /me command in terms of visual presentation. A receiving client that presents messages aurally MAY modify its presentation of /me commands and SHOULD at a minimum transform the string "/me " into the user name, nickname, or handle of the sender.</p> </section1> <section1 topic='Security Considerations' anchor='security'> <p>&xep0045; rooms send XMPP presence stanzas when people leave and join the room, and receiving clients typically show these presence changes as the equivalent of in-room messages, such as the following transformation of a presence stanza of type unavailable:</p> <example caption="Presentation of In-Room Presence Notification"> <span style='margin-left: 5%; font-style: italic; color: green;'>*** Atlas has left the room</span> </example> <p>A sender could attempt to spoof such a leave message by sending an XMPP groupchat message stanza whose body text is "/me has left the room". Although the presentation of presence joins and leaves is determined by the receiving client and therefore such a notification cannot be universally spoofed for all receivers, a client SHOULD differentiate between presence notifications and /me commands (e.g., with different colors and different prepended characters, such as several asterisks for presence notifications and one asterisk for /me commands).</p> </section1> <section1 topic='IANA Considerations' anchor='iana'> <p>This document requires no interaction with &IANA;.</p> </section1> <section1 topic='XMPP Registrar Considerations' anchor='registrar'> <p>This document requires no interaction with the ®ISTRAR;.</p> </section1> <section1 topic='Acknowledgements' anchor='ack'> <p>Thanks to Dave Cridland, Kevin Smith, and Matthew Wild for their feedback and suggestions.</p> </section1> </xep>